ALA Executive Board Conference Call Notes
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Present for the call: President Leslie Burger, President-elect Loriene Roy, and Immediate Past President Michael Gorman. Board Members: Francis J. Buckley, Jr., Mario Gonzalez, Janet Swan Hill, Nann Blaine Hilyard, Teri Kirk, June Pinnell-Stephens, Roberta Stevens, and Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. Also present: Sr. Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas; International Relations Director Michael Dowling; Associate Executive Director, Communications & Marketing, Cathleen Bourdon; Director of the Office of ALA Governance Elizabeth Dreazen; and Executive Board Secretariat JoAnne Kempf. Board member Patricia Smith and Treasurer Terri Switzer joined after the call had convened.
I. U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield – EBD #12.31
International Relations Director Michael Dowling presented a request from Maurice J. Freedman, Chair of the International Relations Committee, that ALA recognize and participate in the U.S. National Committee of the Blue Shield. Mr. Dowling provided background information on the Committee of the Blue Shield, explaining that the Blue Shield is the symbol specified for marking cultural property in the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The International Committee of the Blue Shield was set up in 1996 by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the International Council of Archives (ICA), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The United States Committee of the Blue Shield is now looking for the ALA to recognize the Committee and to ultimately nominate a representative to serve on the Committee’s board.
On a motion by Michael Gorman, seconded by June Pinnell-Stephens, the Executive Board
Voted that ALA recognize and participate in the U.S. National Committee of the Blue Shield.
Elizabeth Dreazen pointed out that ALA Policy 9.4.1, Formal Relationships, states that:
Should an outside organization request an official representative from the Association, the request goes to the Executive Board and Council. If approved, the Committee on Organization (COO) identifies the appropriate ALA unit and makes this recommendation to the Executive Board.
The International Relations Committee will include the request to recognize the U.S. National Committee of the Blue Shield in their report to ALA Council at the 2007 ALA Midwinter Meeting.
II. Member Satisfaction Survey Report - EBD #12.35
Keith Fiels and Cathleen Bourdon presented an Executive Summary of the report on the 2006 ALA Member Communications Study. Mr. Fiels explained that this survey was designed as a follow-up to the initial survey conducted in 2004. He provided background information about Allegheny Marketing Group (AMG), the organization that conducted the survey. Mr. Fiels provided a summary of the survey’s findings (EBD #12.35). He reported that ALA staff will develop a service improvement plan based on these findings, including specific responses to some of the issues highlighted in the report. The plan will be implemented over a two-year period (2006-2008). The survey will be conducted again in 2008 to monitor ALA’s continuing progress toward improving communications with its members.
Mr. Fiels reported that the Executive Summary and a news release about the survey results will go out prior to the 2007 Midwinter Meeting. In addition, a Member Communication Services Improvement Plan will be presented to the Board at the 2007 Spring Executive Board Meeting. The document will address specific issues that were raised as a result of the survey.
III. Website Planning Retreat
Keith Fiels reported on the Website Planning Retreat that was held at ALA Headquarters on December 18, 2006. A group of 25 ALA members and staff discussed their shared vision for moving forward on changes to the ALA Website. Discussion revolved around the results of the usability assessment of the ALA website that was undertaken in the fall of 2006. The usability study recommendations and results of the retreat will be divided into 1) items to be accomplished in the next 60 days; items to be accomplished before the 2007 ALA Annual Conference; and long-term projects.
A “next steps” document will be presented at the 2007 Annual Conference. The basic framework of this document will be presented to the Executive Board and then to ALA Council the first week of January 2007.
IV. Accreditations Standards/Core Competencies
Immediate Past President Michael Gorman raised concerns regarding a draft document from the Committee on Accreditation (COA) entitled "Updating the 1992 Standards for Accreditation." The Board agreed that Leslie Burger will contact COA chair Tom Leonhardt prior to the Midwinter Meeting to suggest that a more substantive revision is needed and to suggest the formation of a broadly constituted task force to address the need for more comprehensive revision of the standards. She will also request an executive summary to the draft document.
V. “Hot Topic” discussions at Executive Board Meetings
In follow up to Board discussion at the 2006 Fall Meeting regarding the need to create time for substantive discussion of issues affecting the profession, Leslie Burger presented the Executive Committee’s recommendation that the Board set aside one hour during one of the sessions at each Board meeting to discuss a topic of the Board’s choosing. The Board agreed to this concept and agreed that the topic for the 2007 Midwinter Meeting will focus on “New Members: Recruiting, Retaining, Involving, Diversifying.” Keith Fiels invited the Board members to suggest information that they would like staff to collect that would be helpful in preparation for the Midwinter discussion.
The Board also discussed the possibility of an open discussion during one of the ALA Council sessions at Midwinter regarding how to make it more attractive to ALA members to run for ALA office.
VI. Follow-up on UCLA Situation
Leslie Burger has sent a letter to the Acting Chancellor at UCLA condemning the beating of an Iranian-American student in the building that houses the Powell Library at UCLA on November 14, 2006. She has received no response to her letter to-date.
VII. National Library Agenda Summit
Leslie Burger reviewed the Summit that was held on December 9 and 10, 2006 at ALA’s Washington Office. She is working on writing a draft document that will be circulated at the 2007 Midwinter Meeting for discussion within ALA divisions and units. She will also create talking points for use during 2007 Library Legislative Day.
VIII. Emerging Leaders
Leslie Burger provided an update on her Emerging Leaders initiative. She reported that the Emerging Leaders workshop will be held on Friday, January 19, during the 2007 Midwinter Meeting. There are 118 individuals registered for the program. To date, 25 projects have been identified for the Emerging Leaders to undertake between the 2007 Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference.
IX. IMLS Grants
Keith Fiels discussed four grants that have been submitted to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS):
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Spectrum (7/1/07 start)
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A proposal to establish certification for library support staff
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An ALA “Leadership Academy” to promote leadership within the profession. The goal is to develop this into a self-sustaining program.
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“Public Program Education” for librarians doing public programming
All of these are 3-year grants ranging from $½ - $1 million.
X. Library of Congress
Janet Swan Hill reported on the November 2-3, 2006 meeting of the LC Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control. The group originally intended to develop a “summit” but the plan evolved into four regional “hearing/events”, each to focus on a different part of the overall issues. The group will send out a call for letters and testimonies ahead of each hearing. Following public testimony, the committee will meet to discuss the next steps.
Ms. Hill will prepare a written summary of the meeting to send to the Board.
XI. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Libraries
Leslie Burger reported that on December 11, 2006 she testified to the Advisory Council to the EPA Administrator. The Advisory Council was unaware that EPA libraries have been closing. The Government Accounting Office (GAO) has started an investigation. A GAO representative might attend the 2007 Midwinter Meeting to obtain input from EPA library users.
Ms. Burger also discussed the digitization of EPA records and the value of developing guidelines for digitizing collections. Mary Ghikas will speak with Charles Wilt, Director of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) to determine whether this is already underway in ALCTS or another unit.
XII. USA PATRIOT Act
Leslie Burger reported that the U.S. Justice Department has responded to questions from the Senate regarding the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act and the issuance of National Security Letters (NSLs) on libraries. The Justice Department has reaffirmed that NSLs can be issued on libraries.
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